The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said widespread rainfall or snowfall is very likely over northern parts of India in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand during the next few days.
The IMD has also said that cold wave to severe cold wave conditions would prevail over some States due to the strengthening of northwesterly/northerly lower-level winds from December 29.
In a series of tweets, the IMD updated its forecasts for north Indian states till the end of December, saying the cold wave conditions are likely to extend to parts of western and central India towards the end of this month. “Under the influence of the approaching Western Disturbance Scattered to Fairly widespread rainfall/snowfall is very likely over Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit, Baltistan & Muzaffarabad,” IMD said.
Similarly, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand would also experience rainfall or snowfall and thundershowers are expected in Punjab and Haryana, on December 27 and 28, IMD said. Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Rajasthan and West Uttar Pradesh are also set to experience cold wave or severe cold wave conditions because of “the strengthening of cold and dry northwesterly/northerly lower-level winds,” IMD said.
Cold day conditions are predicted for these states on December 28 and 29 and on December 29 and 30 for northern Rajasthan. Dense to very dense fog during morning hours is also expected during the morning hours in these states from December 28 till the year end. “Ground Frost conditions are likely in isolated pockets over Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh & Delhi, Rajasthan and West Madhya Pradesh during 28th-29th December, 2020,” IMD tweeted.
Towards the end of December, these cold wave conditions are also expected to spread towards western India. “Northern parts of Saurashtra & Kutch and West Madhya Pradesh also likely to experience cold wave conditions on these days,” IMD said.
The weather across Kashmir has remained dry and cold since the snowfall on December 12, with the night temperature staying several degrees below the freezing point, IMD said. Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 3.7 degrees Celsius, slightly up from the previous night’s minus 4.3 degrees Celsius. In the south Kashmir tourist resort of Pahalgam, the mercury settled at minus 4.5 degrees Celsius, up from minus 5.9 degrees Celsius the previous night. The famous ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir was the coldest place in the valley at minus 6.5 degrees Celsius, down from minus 5.6 degrees Celsius the previous night, according to the IMD.
Qazigund recorded a minimum temperature of minus 4 degrees Celsius, Kupwara minus 3.6 degrees Celsius and Kokernag minus 4.0 degrees Celsius, the IMDsaid. Kashmir is currently under the grip of ‘Chillai Kalan’— a 40-day period of harshest winter when a cold wave grips the region and the temperature drops considerably leading to the freezing of water bodies, as well as the water supply lines in several parts of the valley. The chances of snowfall are the maximum during this period and most areas, especially in the higher reaches, receive heavy snowfall, the IMD said.
Biting cold conditions prevailed in Haryana and Punjab on Saturday, with Hisar reeling at a low of 2.2 degrees Celsius. Hisar in Haryana was the coldest place in the state, while Narnaul too experienced a cold night at 3 degrees Celsius, IMD said.
Among other places in the state, Karnal, Sirsa, Rohtak, Ambala and Bhiwani recorded their respective minimums at 4 degrees Celsius, 4.1 degrees Celsius, 4 degrees Celsius, 5.3 degrees Celsius and 5.6 degrees Celsius.